France Detains 780, Injures 57 Police in Champions League Final Riots After Paris Saint-Germain Victory
A total of 219 people have been injured in clashes between football fans and police across France after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) won the Champions League final against Arsenal. Eight were in a serious condition, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said, as thousands of officers were deployed to curb unrest that disrupted bus, train and rail services in the capital, Paris. Fifty-seven police officers were among the injured, and 780 people have been arrested over the violence, with more than 450 in custody.
Arrests and Injuries
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that 219 people sustained injuries during the unrest, including eight in serious condition. Among the injured were 57 police officers. A total of 780 individuals were arrested in connection with the violence, with more than 450 still in custody as of Sunday morning. Paris police made 480 arrests, with 277 taken into custody, including 82 minors, according to provisional figures from the Paris prosecutor's office. Offences ranged from attacks on officers to attacks on property, theft, and illegal possession of weapons.
Fatal Incident and Casualties
A 24-year-old person was found dead after an accident on Paris's ring road, which rioters tried to block overnight. The circumstances surrounding the death near Porte Maillot remain unclear, with some witnesses stating the individual was riding a motorcycle when he crashed into concrete blocks. A teenager was also in critical condition following a brawl in another area of Paris. It is not clear if the teenager was involved in the football-related rioting.
Police Deployment and Public Order Measures
Some 6,000 police have been mobilised for Sunday's victory parade at the site of the Eiffel Tower. The interior minister said the security forces would be "firm" in their response. "We are a great country for maintaining public order. We allow freedom of assembly, but not excesses," he said. The vast Champs-Élysées was swarmed by fans shortly after the local team won in a penalty shootout. Footage shows flares being set off, electric bikes burning on roads, and revellers smashing the glass of at least one shopfront. Police fired tear gas to disperse crowds in the city centre.
Government and Political Reactions
"The vast majority go out to celebrate and it goes very well," the French interior minister said on Sunday. "But other individuals, who are not PSG supporters, who don't even watch the match, come to cause trouble and disturbances. We are here to prevent them from doing so. Our response is very firm." Far-right leader Marine Le Pen wrote on X: "Only in France does a football club's victory spark riots." "Only in France does everyone feel compelled to lock themselves in their homes on the evening of a victory to avoid being confronted with violence," she said. Players are due to take part in the victory parade later on Sunday, which includes touring the Champ-de-Mars next to the Eiffel Tower and a reception held by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Context
The violence mirrors last year's celebrations when PSG won the same trophy, with celebrations turning deadly. Two people died and hundreds were arrested in France after PSG's Champions League win last year, according to prior reports.